Furnace regenerator arrangement



Nov. 7, 1939.

w. J. mwm 2.178.795 FURNACE BEGENERATOR ARRANGEMENT Fiied March 1, 193aInventor.- lV/LL/fl/v J flew/v,

Patented Nov. 7, 1939 UNITED STAT ES PATENT OFFICE 2,178,795 FURNACEREGENEEATOR ARRANGEMENT William J. Irwin, Wilkinsburg, Pa.

Application March 1,

8 Claims.

This invention relates to heat regenerators, one of the objects being toeffect more uniform gaseous flows through the same than has heretoforebeen possible.

Specific examples of an open-health metallurgical furnace provided withregenerators embodying the principles of the invention are i1- lustrated.by the accompanying drawing, in

which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of the furnace;

Figure 2 is a horizontal section through the regenerator and the fiuesextending from the same to the furnace and the stack;

- Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section taken from the lineIII-III in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a. transverse vertical section taken from the line IV-IV inFigure 3; and

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but i1- lustrates another exampleof the invention.

Since the regenerators are similarly arranged at opposite ends of thefurnace and these opposite ends are the same, the drawing includes onlyone of the furnace ends and the two regenerators at this end.

This furnace includes a fuel and air are introduced alternately from theopposite ends. When the fuel and air are introduced from the end notshown by the drawing, the products of combustion exit by way of gas andair ports 2 and 3, up-and-down-takes 4- and 5 and gas and air flues 6and I, which extend over the tops of regenerators 8 and 9. The productspass downwardly through these regenerators and are from there carried byflues Ill and H to the furnace stack, these fiues opening from thebottoms of the two regenerators opposite the fiues 6 and I.

The flues l and II are s 'tably valved to provide the control necessaryfor reversing the furnace. The details of this arrangementmay beconventional and are therefore not described. In any event the presentinvention is chiefly concerned with uniformly spreading the products ofcombustion through the regenerators because it is this problem that mostseriously 0on fronts furnace designers.v

One reason trouble is experienced in effecting a uniform flow 0f theproducts of combustion throughout the extent of the regenerator isbecause it is necessary to make the flues of brick, and to properly keythe various bricks it is neceshearth I over which sary to arch the'topsof the flues 6 and 1, this,

necessarily resulting in the provision of spaces over the regeneratortops which are much greater 1938, Serial No. 193,358

in heights along the longitudinal center lines of the regenerators thanalong their edges. Consequently, the products of combustion tend tosweep centrally along the regenerators whereby the side .A furtherdifliculty exists by reason of the introduction of the products ofcombustion parallel over the regenerator tops, whereby the velocity ofthe flows tends to cause a concentration at the remote ends of theregenerators and a consequent neglect of the passages most adjacent thefurnace.

According to the present invention, the top of either or bothregenerators is built up, as at 9 in Figure 4, to approximate the shapeof the necessarily arched flue tops. Preferably the top of theregenerator should be arched as smoothly as the flue top over it but,due to the construction of regenerators, this may not be practical.Consequently, top of the regenerator 9 as toward its center from bothits longitudinal edges, this resulting in a space over the regeneratortop that is at least approximately of uniregenerator passages areneglected.

the drawing shows the increasing in steps form height transversely ofthe regenerator.

Due to this-arrangement the products of combustion tend to flow moreevenly over the width of the regenerator,- whereby gaseous flows throughthe normally neglected side passages of the regenerator are obtained toa much greater degree than is usual.

Furthermore, either or both of the fines is built to decline toward theremote end of the regenerator in the manner illustrated by Figure 3, andto provide one or more spaced over the top of the end of the regeneratormost adjacent the furnace. With this arrangement the products ofcombustion are forced downwardly toward the passages in this end of theregenerator, which are declinations 1 those normally receiving butlittle of the gaseous flow because ofthe tendency for the flow to travelthereover toward the remote end. Preferably, the top of the flue shoulddecline so as to almost close the lastrow of passages of theregenerator.

in conjunction with shaping of the top of the regenerator, cooperates toeffect a very thoroughly and uniformly dis- This last mentioned feature,

the declinations I and the at the remote or stack end tributed flow ofproducts of combustion through the regenerator.

As previously mentioned, the various features described may be appliedto, either or both regenerators, the description being directedparticularly to the air regenerator 9 because this ordinarily handlesthe largest volume of the products of combustion and hence presents themost serious problem.- In some instances it may be desirable to providethe built-up arrangement 9 for only a part of the length of theregenerator.

This feature may be used to advantage by itself, but is particularlyefiective when used in conjunction with the declining flue top providedwith the declinations as described.

A further reason the problem of even flow distribution is particularlyencountered in the case of the air regenerator 9 is because thisregenerator is generally necessarily offset from the up-and-down-takes 4and 5. Furthermore, the up-and-down-take 5 generally of necessity anglesin the .direction of the regenerators offset, these various featurestending to produce a flow completely out of alignment. with the centerline of .the air regenerator. Turbulence is also in-' troduced.

With the above in mind, a further feature of the present invention isthe arrangement of the v regenerator 9 at an-angle to the regenerator 8suc 'as will cause the two regenerators to converge respecting oneanother. regenerators are positioned parallel one another,

this requiring the portion of the flue 1 between the end of theregenerator 9 and the down-take 5 to be very sharply angled but, due tothe regenerator 9 converging respecting the regenerator 8, it ispossible to construct this portion of the flue I with very littleangularity in the case of the present invention. As shown in Figure 2,the flue l is practically aligned with center line of the regenerator 9whereby the flow of products of combustion is more centered respectingtlus regenerator and can therefore diffuse more evenly through thepassages of the latter. Both regenerators may be angularly positionedrespecting the longitudinal center line of the furnace to efiect thedesired converging relationship, if desired.

In the case of the example shown by Figure 5, a very wide regenerator i2is illustrated. A regenerator of this width might, for instance, beused, instead of the two regenerators 8 and 9, in those instances whereit is not necessary to preheat the fuel. This example is featured by adouble-arched flue top I3 opening over the top of the regenerator l2 andby the latter being built up, as at 32, toward the highest parts of eachof these arches, this resulting in what might be called a longitudinallydouble-arched a flue construction may be provided by the use of keybricks 94 between the two arches, suspended from rods is supported bycross-bars I8 spanning the outside tops of the two arches of the brickflue 13.

This double-arched flue top results in a space over the regenerator topof more uniform height transversely of the regenerator even if theregenerator top is flat, as it conventionally is. That is to say, asingle arch provides a flue space of maximum height along thelongitudinal center of the regenerator but a double arch tends to reducethis effect. It is possible to use a relatively great number ofarchesand thereby provide a practically flat-topped flue which, in conjunctionwith a flat-topped regenerator, will result in a space over theregenerator top of even height transversely of the regenerator.

Although not so prominent, the problem of even distribution throughtheregenerator when working reversely, that is to say, when gas or airis fed through the same to the furnace, is also Generally, these thelongitudinal H is shown as providing declinations H at the stack end ofto some extent in the direction of the furnace end of the regenerator.This arrangement functions during the reverse flow through theregenerator in the same way as the top construction of the flue 7functions.

Although specific examples of the invention are disclosed in accordancewith the patent statutes, it is not intended to scope, except to theextents defined by the appended claims.

1. A heat regenerator having a flue extending over its top and openthereto so as to distribute gases down through the same, the top of saidregenerator and said fluebeing shaped to provide a space ofsubstantially versely of said regenerator the length of the latter.

2. A heat regenerator having a flue extending over its top and openthereto so as to distribute gases .down through the same, the top ofsaid regenerator and said flue being shaped to provide a space ofsubstantially uniform height transversely of said regenerator for atleast a part of the length of the latter, and which'decreases toward theremote end of the latter.

3. A heatv regenerator having a flue extending over its top and openthereto so as to distribute gases down through the same, the top of saidregenerator and said, flue being shaped to provide a space ofsubstantially uniform height transversely of said regenerator for atleast a part of the length of the latter, said flue providing at leastone declination over the topof the end of said regenerator where gasesare initially in troduced by said flue.

4. A heat regenerator having a flue extending over its top and openthereto so as to distribute gases down through the same, the top of saidfor at least a part of thereby limit its the regenerator and asinclining uniform height transregenerator and said flue being shaped toprovide V a space of substantially uniform height transversely of saidregenerator for at least a part'of the length of the latter and whichdecreases togases down through the same, the top of said regenerator andsaid flue being substantially similarly arched transversely for at leasta part of the length of said regenerator.

6. A heat regenerator having a flue extending over its top and openthereto so as to distribute gases down through the samejthe top of saidflue over said regenerator being in the form of a plurality oflongitudinally extending arches for at least a part of the length ofsaid regenerator.

7. A heat regenerator having achannel extending longitudinally over itstop and open thereto so as to distribute gases down through the same,the wall of said channel over said regenerator top and said regeneratortop both beerator top being of such extent as to appreciably reduce thecross sectional area of said channel in the vicinity of its said end.

8. A heat regenerator having a flue extending over its top and openthereto so as to distribute gases down through the same, the top of saidflue over said regenerator being in the form of a plurality oflongitudinally extending arches for at least a part of the length ofsaid regenerator, said flue decreasing in cross sectional area towardits end remote from the end of said regenerator top where gases areinitially introduced to the same.

WILLIAM, J. IRWIN.

